BMW to add X5 production in China – Spokesman for Reuters

(The first paragraph puts “add” instead of “more” to show that the company does not produce the vehicle in China)

BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s BMW will add production to its mid-size luxury SUV, which is currently in the United States, to meet high demand in China for the world’s largest vehicle, a company spokesman said Monday.

“We will add localized production of the BMW X5 in China to the Chinese market,” the spokesman said, without giving a start date.

Production of the Chinese X5 will begin in the second quarter of next year at the BMW Brilliance joint venture, according to a US supplier source.

X5 vehicles sold in China have so far been produced at BMW’s Spartanburg plant in South Carolina. The increase in Chinese production will not affect the production volume of the South Carolina plant, the statement said.

Statement Following a report by Handelsblatt earlier on Monday, BMW planned to start production of the X5 in China from 2022 onwards.

BMW sold less than 700,000 cars in China from January to September this year, almost 20% more than last year and accounted for a third of all sales in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Chief Financial Officer Nicolas Peter said in September that he was confident that sales would increase next year.

The move reflects BMW’s decision in 2018 to supply 10,000 and 20,000 X5 SUVs to Chinese customers in Thailand after China imposed a 40 percent tariff on U.S. imports.

(This story puts the first paragraph “add” instead of “more” to show that the company does not produce the vehicle in China)